No relation between lighting candles, fighting against COVID-19: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that turning off lights and burning candles has no relation with the fight against coronavirus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video message earlier today, made an appeal to the people to light 'diyas' and candles on April 5 at 9 pm for nine minutes to fight the darkness spread by the coronavirus pandemic.

"There is no relation between turning off lights and burning candles, with the fight against the menace of COVID-19. I believe it and that is why I will not light candles or turn off the light but continue to fight against coronavirus," Chowdhury told ANI.

The Congress leader said that he knows he will be called anti-national for not lighting candles. "I will not light candles. I know I will be called anti-national, but I am ready," he said.

This comes as the country is under a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which according to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs has claimed 56 lives and infected a total of 2,301 people as on Friday.